Riyadh begins property acquisition for major road development projects    Saudi minister explores strategic industrial and mining partnerships with top Russian firms    Riyadh's Creative District to welcome Italy's Istituto Marangoni    CMA approves major reforms to ease investment account access for foreign and local investors    Saudi Arabia reaffirms OPEC+ compliance as June crude supply hits 9.35 million bpd    Lithuanian politicians taken to shelters after Belarus airspace violation alarm    EU leaders agree to send delegation to Libya after previous group expelled from country    Armenia and Azerbaijan move closer to peace, pushing Russia out from the South Caucasus    Trump says he will hike tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%    France's Lady Liberty artwork goes viral as a new Statue of Liberty could be in the works    Saudi population reaches 35.3 million in 2024, majority under 65    GASTAT: Industrial Production Index rises by 1.5% in May    Theo Hernández: Al Hilal can compete with Europe's best    Abdullah Al-Qaisoom wins silver at Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship    Aubameyang's future at Al Qadsiah in doubt after cryptic post comparing Saudi League strikers    Makkah Deputy Emir leads washing of Holy Kaaba    SFDA approves 'Winrevair' for rare pulmonary hypertension treatment    HONOR returns to Esports World Cup as Official Smartphone Partner for 2025 The renewed commitment will see HONOR elevate mobile esports competition with cutting-edge AI technologies and industry-leading hardware    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



First Person: 'I fear I will never see my husband again'
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 01 - 04 - 2022

Nataliia Vladimirova fled her home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on the first day of the Russian invasion, on 24 February, with her four-year-old daughter Oleksandra and mother-in-law. They are amongst the thousands of Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection status in Portugal. She shares her heart-wrenching story of family separation and loss, with UN News.
Vladimirova is an accountant and former teacher in Kharkiv University. Along with her daughter and mother-in-law, she arrived in Lisbon on a humanitarian flight organized by the Portuguese government on March 14th.
With the help of volunteers, they found a local family willing to share their apartment whilst they seek official refugee status. More than 22,700 other Ukrainians, and third-country citizens formerly living in Ukraine, have been given temporary protection status in Portugal.
Vladimirova spoke to UN News on March 24, one month into the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I'm from Kharkiv, which is now a very dangerous city. It's the epicenter of this war. Today is an emotional day for me, because it's been a month since I left home. I can still picture our apartment and all of the belongings that we had to leave behind.
Before the war started, I suggested that we should leave the country, but my husband said "no, it's ok, this is the 21st century, how is war possible?". But, just in case, I prepared our documents. Then, on the 24th of February, my husband woke me up and said "it's beginning!".
When we left the city, we didn't leave Ukraine right away, because we thought that we would be able to return home after a few days.
We ended up moving between many Ukrainian cities, where many people helped us. Our first stop was Dnipro, where one of my husband's co-workers let us stay in his apartment. But we heard sirens after the first day, and decided to move on.
My husband was told that he was not allowed to leave the country, and he asked me to leave without him. I said that I loved him, and couldn't leave him. This was in Kryvyi Rih, and he's still there.
But I had to leave. I told him that he should get his mother to leave Kharkiv and join us in Kryvyi Rih, and then we planned to get out of the country, Oleksandra, my mother-in-law and me.
Before arriving in Portugal, we drove to the Ukrainian border and crossed into Romania. We didn't know anyone there, and we asked the Red Cross for help. They found us a place to stay for the night.
Then we drove to Bucharest, where a humanitarian flight was arranged, to take us, and the other Ukrainian refugees, to Portugal.
We have been helped by so many volunteers along the way. In Romania, they would make breakfast for us, without asking for anything in return. In Portugal, volunteers met us at the airport and helped us to find an apartment.
Our host in Lisbon, Maria, is so beautiful and kind. She has explained all about Portugal, and what I should do to find a school for my daughter, and how to go about getting a job. Her friends have also helped, by giving us clothes.
Although she is only four, my daughter knows that there is a terrible war happening back home, that there is shooting. She asks her grandmother why her grandfather is not here. She says that he should come to Portugal because Kharkiv is too dangerous.
My biggest fear is that I will never see my husband again." — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.